End protector



April 15, 1941. H. M. HICKS I END PROTECTOR Filed Dec. 22, 1939 [mania]:- HOW/4E0 M Ava/ 5 Patented Apr. 15, 1941 END PROTECTOR Howard M. Hicks, McKeesport, Pa., assignor to National Tube Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 22, 1939, Serial No. 310,622

1 Claim.

This invention relates to end protectors, and more particularly to those which are used for protecting the threaded ends of pipes and tubes such as are used for well-casing, drill tubing, line pipe, or any tubular article wherein corrosion and mechanical injury to exterior threads or machined surfaces are undesirable.

In well drilling, for example, extreme accuracy must be maintained in preparing the joints in the string of drilling tools. However careful these joints are made at the place of manufacture, they are subject to possible damage in transit to the consuming site and while awaiting assembly after their arrival. If they are to be used for the purpose for which they are intended, they must be protected from exposure to moisture to prevent corrosion as well as from abrasion and mechanical injuries to the exterior threads andv I machined surfaces which are used in completing face.

Another object is the provision of a device of the class described which is cheap to manufacture, easy to install and remove and one which is, at the same time, very durable in service.

The foregoing and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the device of the invention as it is used on the exteriorly threaded end of a male element of a drill tube; and

Figure 2 is an end view of the showing of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates theend ofa tubular article, such as the male element of a drill tube. In order to protect the exterior surfaces of the male element of .the drill tube, which may be screwthreaded or machined in the manner well known in the art, the device of the present invention includes a split cup member 3 which, more spe ciflcally, comprises a pair of semi-cylindrical wall members 4, each of which terminates in a semicircular right-angularly extending bottom portion 5. In other words, the semi-cylindrical wall members 4 and bottom portions 5, when in assembled relationship, form a cup which is split in half along lines indicatedby the adjacent opposedsuriaces I. The center of the bottom of the cup 3, which is formed by the bottom portions 3, is provided with an aperture 8 which is taper-threaded for a purpose to be later described. In other words, each of the members 5 is provided with a. semi-circular recess which is tending continuous radial flange I2.

screw-threaded on a taper, whereby the complementary screw-threaded surfaces form a taperthreaded aperture.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the sectional cup 3 comprising the cylindrical side walls 4 and the bottom portions 5 will seat into and snugly occupy thecylindrical bore of the tubular article 2.

. Secured to the outer ends of the side walls 4 of the sectional cup 3 is a continuous right-angular flange I0 having integrally formed therewith a frusto-conical hood II, the largest diameter of which is provided with an outwardly ex- Disposed in contact with the outer face of the continuous radial flange I2 is a compressible gasket I3 which is adapted to seat against the shoulder I4 at the base of the tapered portion I5 of the joint forming instrumentality which, as before stated, may be either screw-threaded or machined.

In operation:

The sectional cup 3 is disposed within the cylindrical bore of the metallic tubular article 2 with the hood portion I I extending over the joint forming instrumentality (threads or machine tapered surfaces) with the continuous radial flange I2 adjacent the shoulder M at the base of the joint forming instrumentality and with the gasket I3 disposed between the same. A taperthreaded plug I6 is screwed into the taperthreaded aperture 8 formed by the complementary semi-cylindrical tapered and screw-threaded surfaces at the center of the bottom portions ,5 of the cup 3. The plug I6 is screwed into the said aperture 8 a sufiicient distance to force the side walls 4 of the cup to snugly occupy the cylindrical bore of the tubular article 2.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the present invention, it will be seen that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the inven tion, as defined by the following claim.

I claim:

An end protector for the male element of a frusto-conical. joint for a tubular article comprising, in combination, a segmental cup adapted to fit withinthe bore of the said tubular article, a radial flange on the outer end of said cup, a frusto-conical hood carried by said r-adial flange for covering said male element, a radial flange on the end of said frusto-conical hood, a gasket between said radial fiange and the base of said male element, and a coniform screw-threaded plug extending through the bottom wall of said cup in screw-threaded engagement therewith whereby the segments thereof may be expanded into engagement with the bore of said tubular article.

HOWARD M. HICKS. 

